


Of honeysuckle and the curve of her lips

by andthestarsthatshine



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-15
Updated: 2014-04-15
Packaged: 2018-01-19 10:42:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1466428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andthestarsthatshine/pseuds/andthestarsthatshine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny's thoughts after letting Mindy go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of honeysuckle and the curve of her lips

He never knew how much he loved her until he started missing the things to which only he had been privy. 

He missed how they would be content in each other's company, him reading on the couch while she would read five full sentences before feeling the need to share her thoughts with him. He missed how she knew that his huff of annoyance was nowhere near the truth of how he felt every time she interrupted him. He missed the way her foot would poke into his ribs to get his attention. He would always remember the squeal which came from her every time he grasped her ankle and ran the pads of his fingers across the sole of her foot. The sound was like music to his ears, uplifting him in a way he never thought possible. 

He missed the way she would fall asleep in the crook of his arm, curled up tightly against him. He missed the way her ice cold feet made him yelp every time they made contact with his hot skin. He missed the way she would crinkle her nose at him when he ends up accidentally waking her up because of it. He missed how she would descend into a fit of laughter when she realises the cause of his admittedly unmanly scream. He missed how when the giggles subsided, she would stretch against him and yawn. He missed how she would wake him up by peppering kisses all over his face. He gently chided her for it every time but it always brought a smile to his face. He knew that he was usually the one to wake up before her but he would sometimes lay in bed a little longer just so she can wake him up and remind him that's she oh so very there.

He missed having her to make breakfast for in the morning. He missed the way she rolled her eyes any time he would lecture her on the importance of having breakfast. He missed how excited she got when he first made pancakes for her. 'Danny, does this mean we're more than just casual?' she asked him with a curious smile. 'Of course,' he responded without hesitation, answering what he thought was a more than unnecessary question. He missed how she would be so distracted by him that she wouldn't notice the bit of maple syrup dropping off the tines of her fork. He missed the way she found a way to sully his newspaper in this way every morning. He missed the way she would kiss him with her syrupy sweet lips by way of apology. She was just making a mess on him instead of the newspaper but he found that he couldn't care less. He never failed to grasp her hips and pull her closer into him, eliciting a soft giggle from her as he rubbed his stubbled cheek against her smooth skin.

He missed all the excuses she would make to get him alone. He missed the way she would jump into his arms the minute she closed the office door. He missed the exhilaration he felt at the thought of being caught. He missed the way she would shake her head at every one of his attempts to get her alone, saying that he was being too dramatic with his excuses. He missed how she would break out into a grin every time he smiled apologetically at her. He missed the way she would look at him like he was the most important person in the world as she bit her lip in an attempt to contain her smile. 

He missed the way she kissed him, always tentative at first before she melted into him completely. He missed the way she would bite his lower lip and run her tongue across it every time she wanted to deepen the kiss. He missed the way she would shiver and sigh into him every time he caressed her cheek with his thumb. He missed the pure look of adoration in her eyes in the moment before she closed them. He missed the way she would fight to find purchase on every part of him, undecided about where she wanted to rest her hands. He missed how she would purr when he kissed that sensitive spot below her ear. He missed the way she would whimper every time he drew away from her. The only sound which could stop him in his tracks and make him want to crush his lips against hers once again.

But still there were two things he missed most of her all: her scent and her smile.

Her hair smelt like honeysuckle and it was a scent that never changed. Her perfume would change between three different scents depending on her mood. But the smell of her hair was always honeysuckle. It was the very same scent he smelt the first time he laid a kiss against her head as she fit herself perfectly into his arms. It was the very same scent he was overcome by when she wound her arms around his neck, swaying a little as she pressed herself against his body. It was the very same scent he caught a whiff of when she climbed over him towards the galley of the airplane. It was the very same scent that would lull him into a restful slumber. It was the very same scent that continued to haunt him long after she had vacated his apartment, reminding him of her at the most inopportune of times.

And the memory of every smile she had bestowed upon him is forever etched into his brain. The curve of her lips thrilled him more than every curve on her body. It sent him into a heady state and he longed to draw out the line of her mouth into an upward arc. The way the corners of her mouth ticked up ever so slowly, plucking at his heartstrings along the way. It was that special smile that was reserved only for him which intoxicated him wholly. A rush of warmth spreading outwards from his heart, his heart beat picking up its pace and his eyes going just a little bit glossy. All of that simply because she smiled at only him in that way and it made him feel like the king of the world. He revelled in the fact that  _he_ was the cause of that smile and he became overjoyed by the giddiness it elicited from him as a result.

* * *

Every day he went into work, he was overcome with regret. He wanted to keep her in his life but instead he had ended up pushing her away, leaving him isolated yet surrounded by remnants of her, of  _them_. Every day, he expected her to come into his office unannounced and tell him about whatever interesting thing happened to her. Some days his brain liked to torture him and he imagined her bursting into his office, straddling him and kissing away any doubt he had ever had about them. Those days were the worst. He could almost feel every curve on her body beneath his hands. He could almost feel the warmth emitting from her. And if he closed his eyes, he could almost feel her breath skating across his face.

He hated the way she would quickly avert her gaze every time they locked eyes. He hated the way she would slink away into her office every time he came out of his own. He hated the way she wouldn't even sit near him in meetings or in the break room. He hated that she would attempt to shift her schedule just so she could see him less. 

He was so scared of getting in too deep and losing her later on that he hadn't truly considered what it would be like to watch her slip away right in front of his eyes. It was almost as if she was nothing but a mirage now and every time he reached forward she would disappear from sight. This wasn't what he wanted. This wasn't what he thought would happen at all. He thought they would've easily fallen back into their familiar rhythm. She wouldn't come to him for advice anymore. She wouldn't bound into his office anymore. She wouldn't eat lunch with him anymore. And he had never felt more alone. He realised that in trying not to lose her he had lost her completely. She was still there but he felt like she was only on the periphery of his life. This wasn't even like when they first met - at least then they talked even if their tongues were sharp - but this was like torture. He found that having the woman he loves so close to her yet so far was the worst kind of pain he had ever felt. 

This wasn't what he wanted at all.

* * *

He saw her in the doctor's lounge. She didn't notice him enter the room, her eyes intently directed towards the television, enraptured by whatever movie was on. So he stands there and openly looks at her, takes all of her in for the first time in far too long. He has always loved her in her scrubs. Even more than when she wears those dresses that made his breath catch in his throat every time he looked at her. He likes the way she looks here. It's simple. It's oddly elegant. When he told her to keep it simple what felt like a lifetime ago,  _this_ is what he meant. Wearing plain scrubs which weren't worn like a second skin but still showed off the lines of her figure. Wearing the bare minimum of make up or none at all if he caught her after a particularly late night delivery. Her hair all mussed because she tied it up messily while rushing to get ready for surgery. Her glasses perched just past the bridge of her nose, bringing attention to her bright eyes. He heard her sigh at something on screen and it brought forth a sigh of his own from somewhere deep inside of him.

She heard him then and snapped her head in his direction. 'Danny?'

'Hey.' Mindy shivered a little at that as that simple word brought back the memory of his raspy voice letting out the same word mere seconds before he first kissed her. He moved to sit down beside her and he took it as a good sign that she didn't recoil at his proximity. 'How was your delivery?'

'There were a few difficulties and...well, I thought I was going to lose her and the baby. But they're both ok now.' Mindy forced a smile.

Danny knew that something was amiss. She sounded deflated despite what was a favourable outcome. 'Min?' 

'It's fine. I'm fine. It's just that tough deliveries always make me feel like I could've done something better. That's all.'

'Hey, come on.' He moved to grasp her hand lightly and she instinctively curled her fingers around his hand. 'The fact that they're both ok should be proof enough that you did everything right. And even if...even if the outcome wasn't so great, well, that doesn't mean you would've done a bad job either. Sometimes things are out of our control and I know it sucks but we're doctors, we're only human and can only do so much.'

'I know. I know that logically. It's just something that's always going to be in the back of mind. But thank you, Danny.' Mindy squeezed his hand as if to emphasise how grateful she was in that moment.

After a beat, Danny took in a deep breath and spoke slowly. 'Min. About that night we-  _I_ ended things. There's just something-'

'No, Danny. You are not doing this. Not now.' She pulled her hand from his and he felt the absence of her warmth acutely. 'I'm finally getting to a place where I can be in the same room as you and you're not going to undo all of that by insisting we talk about the night you broke my heart!' She stood up, prepared to flee the room but Danny was quick to his feet, essentially blocking her way. 

Danny winced a little at the last few words. 'Min, I'm sorry. I didn't- I wasn't trying to break your heart. That was the last thing I wanted to do.'

'But you did.'

'Min...'

'Don't.' She pushed at him lightly and went to walk around him.

'Wait. Let me just- I have one thing I need to say.' He gently pulled on her arm when he saw she wasn't stopping. 'Just hear me out. Please. And I promise I won't bring up that night again.'

She turned to fully face him, crossing her arms in front of her chest. 'Fine. Talk.'

'You remember asking me why I kissed you? Why I even started all of this?'

Mindy simply nodded in response.

Danny took a deep breath before carrying on. 'Well, I was an idiot then. I was an idiot for telling you that I was sorry because that's a big fucking lie. I could never be sorry for kissing you. I can only be sorry for ending things, for hurting you, for running scared. And I'm sorry for not saying the words that so desperately wanted to spill forth. You want to know why I kissed you? It was because I love you. And I still do. I doubt I'll ever stop loving you and if you'll give this jerk standing in front of you a second chance then I will spend every waking minute of my life showing you how much I love you.'

Mindy stared at him in silence, the only movement the rapid blinking of her eyes.

'Min? Say something. It's unsettling when you're quiet,' he said trying for a lighter tone.

'You've always had a way with words, haven't you?'

Danny shrugged a little at that. He tensed up a little seeing the unreadable expression on her face and prepped his whole body for rejection.

And then she smiled. He longed to see the curve of her lips blessing him with one of her smiles and seeing it again allowed his body to relax. And as she rushed forward into his arms, crushing her body into his, and he inhaled that familiar scent of honeysuckle, he knew he was home again.


End file.
